On March 2, 2022, Associate Policy Director Dominic Butchko testified before the House Environment and Transportation and Appropriations Committees in support of HB 1031 – Natural Resources – Land Conservation – Establishment of Goals and Programs (Maryland the Beautiful Act). The bill would establish programs meant to accelerate and improve park land acquisition and encourage the development of community green spaces.

From the MACo testimony: 

The proposed Local Land Trust Revolving Loan Program (LLTRLP) and the Greenspace Equity Program (GEP) will provide local governments with new resources to make their communities more sustainable, livable, and healthy. The LLTRLP is designed to provide low-interest financing to local land trusts trying to acquire new space, while the GEP will provide technical assistance and grants to help develop greenspaces. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, both state and local greenspaces were filled, often to capacity, as residents sought some form of healthy and safe recreation – it has become abundantly clear that these spaces offer immense value to neighborhoods across the state.

MACo will be testifying on the bill’s crossfile, SB 791, on March 9, 2022.

More on MACo’s Advocacy:

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2022 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.
Learn more about MACo’s 2022 Legislative Initiatives.
Read more General Assembly News on MACo’s Conduit Street blog.